Topic: birds

[DH]

Since there is a "bees" thread already, how many have had an experience with birds while riding?  What happened?
Any interest anyone?

[Desert-SOHC]

Never hit a bird on a bike, close, but never hit one.  I hit an Owl in a Tractor with a lowboy trailer though.

[grcamna2]

A had a young crow fly straight up into my headlight bucket while it was eating on the edge of the road and noticed me coming along at the last minute back in the mid 70's;I think it broke it's neck but no damage to me or the bike,but I was tucked-down bracing for a head-hit at the time  That was the only occurence so far.

[brewsky]

Was flat out wide open at a screaming 60mph on my c110 honda wearing my safety white t shirt when something hit me in the chest.
Didn't see it coming or know what it was, but I thought someone threw a brick at me.
Knocked the breath out of me and scared the s##t out of me, but I got slowed to a stop and found the dead robin between my legs on the seat!

[MoMo]

I had a small bird hit my windshield many moons ago.  Saw it coming all the way, fortunately it Didn't damage anything -

[Bailgang]

Last summer I was out riding with my youngest son we were on a 2 lane road with trees on 1 side, he was on his CBR but we were both behaving ourselves and were doing maybe 60 mph when a rather large crow came swooping across out from the trees right as we were approaching and just missed my kid. It was a big enough bird that it could well have knocked him clean off his bike at the speed we were going. Good thing it missed because my kid didn't spot it until it was too late to react.

[flybox1]

Out by our old place there was a house which had a gaggle of peacocks.  They let them run loose and often were on the side of the road.
Every year they multiplied, and each summer here were a few were victims.
My neighbor got one with her suburban, and one almost made it on to my fly tying bench when it crossed in front of me while I was on my 350F

[grcamna2]

Birds/animals just don't react too well to oncoming motor vehicles..   

[navydad]

I had a blue 1996 Goldwing and that darned bike was a bird magnet. 7 years, 110,000 miles and eleven birds. The biggest was an owl and only two of the eleven got to me or my wife. The rest were stopped by the massive amount of plastic we were surrounded with. I did have a hawk drop a snake on me while riding my GS Beemer a few years back. Should I start a snake thread?

[MoMo]

I had a blue 1996 Goldwing and that darned bike was a bird magnet. 7 years, 110,000 miles and eleven birds. The biggest was an owl and only two of the eleven got to me or my wife. The rest were stopped by the massive amount of plastic we were surrounded with. I did have a hawk drop a snake on me while riding my GS Beemer a few years back. Should I start a snake thread?

why not?   that is one scary visual

[navydad]

Okay, you're on 

[seanbarney41]

Often seems like birds like to play with you, swerve, divebomb, and try to keep up flying alongside.  I have had close calls but have only ever hit a little one off my footpeg.

I started this thread several years ago...
http://forums.sohc4.net/index.php/topic,91918.msg1026224.html#msg1026224

If you live where wild turkeys are, you may know that although they are big birds, their biggest danger is not hitting them, but crashing your bike from laughing so hard.  They have got to be the most ridiculous animal.

[Kevin D]

1) Long time ago I hit a sparrow with my left hand when I was driving too fast and he was veering too slow.
2) A couple years past I had an owl swoop down at me out of a tree on North Territorial. I was moving along about 45mph and he didn't hit me, but I got a good look at his extended talons from a couple feet away. A following rider confirmed it was an owl.
3) More recently, I'm on a dirt road in farm country. The trees are planted tightly in windrows along both sides of the road. There is a big bird (not BigBird) in the middle of the road gnawing on some roadkill. Probably a turkey vulture, maybe an eagle, way bigger than a hawk. As I approach, he stays on the road kill beyond when I would expect him to be leaving. So I slow just a bit, and finally he takes off, but instead of heading for the field, he is flying straight at me, about head high, down the middle of the road. So here I am, playing chicken with a bird, my 35mph plus whatever his speed is. His idea not mine. At about 50 feet I was ready to concede victory to the bird, slam on the brakes, swerve, full tuck, I don't know, when at last he made a sharp left and found an opening in the trees. I didn't check the road kill as I passed but it occurred to me that it might have been an earlier arriving motorcyclist.

[MoMo]

I also had the experience of an owl swooping down on us when we were trail riding in the New Jersey Pine Barrens.  The sun was directly above, as a result the owl cast a huge shadow over the group of trail riders...Larry

[Retro Rocket]

I hit a duck at about 60MPH, it was akin to running over a feathered pillow, also, trying to scrape roasted duck of the front of your engine is a royal PITA........

[DH]

I hit a redwing blackbird at 65 mph while acellerating. Bird came from nowhere and I had time to barely flinch. no protective gear,
just a tee shirt. Thought for a split sec I'd missed him, till he crashed into my chest, just below the left nipple. Damn near brought me to tears. Another time, got hit with a half load of sh!t from some geese flying overhead. Riding the cbr  that time and wearing my "joe rocket". Left sleeve and front fairing saved me from a real mess. Bike was nasty.

[70CB750]

Two vultures is my score.  One with my left hand, one with shoulder.  The scenario was always the same, bird in the ditch eating roadkill takes off too  late and tries to fly across the road.

[DH]

Two vultures is my score.  One with my left hand, one with shoulder.  The scenario was always the same, bird in the ditch eating roadkill takes off too  late and tries to fly across the road.

It would be hilareous if it didn't hurt so bad, eh? And what are the odds of taking out two at the same time?
Hope ypu didn't get hurt too bad on a serious note tho..

[70CB750]

It was on two different occassions, but both birds lived.  The hand one kept flying, the shoulder one went to the ditch, and took off soon afterwards.

[DH]

Again, hope you didn't get hurt too bad. Those are big birds.

[70CB750]

Again, hope you didn't get hurt too bad. Those are big birds.

No I did not  , thank you for your concern.  But it was not my doing, just luck, there is not much you can do in time that short.

[MoMo]

Again, hope you didn't get hurt too bad. Those are big birds.

If he can take out a deer, a bird would be a mere flesh wound ....Larry

[grcamna2]

Again, hope you didn't get hurt too bad. Those are big birds.

If he can take out a deer, a bird would be a mere flesh wound ....Larry

I do think Prokop would have a struggle if he came up against an Albatross 

[70CB750]

Or this bird, would you believe it?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S0xrUe2nCyE

[grcamna2]

Or this bird, would you believe it?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S0xrUe2nCyE

LOL  WOW  That ostrich was Really Moving  and those cyclist's were getting the biggest 'workout' of their day !
I wonder if that two-legged creature ever did catch/attack them  LOL